Attorney General Becerra Awarded the Inaugural John Van de Kamp Justice Through Laws Award

The CCBA Board of Directors is pleased to announce that the Conference of California Bar Associations awarded the first John Van de Kamp Justice Through Laws Award to California Attorney General Xavier Becerra at the 2017 CCBA Conference of Delegates. The award is in honor of one of our most treasured supporters of the Conference — John Van de Kamp. Throughout his career — whether as the Los Angeles County District Attorney, as the California Attorney General, or as the President of the California State Bar — John was a vocal and consistent supporter of the work of the Conference.

It is fitting that the first recipient of the award is Attorney General Xavier Becerra. “John Van de Kamp lived for the values of justice and opportunity that define the State of California,” said state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra, who once worked for Van de Kamp. “I will forever be grateful for the confidence he showed in me from my earliest days of public service under his leadership at the California Department of Justice. He served the people of California like few others.”

Mr. Becerra’s has devoted his professional career to public service and the kinds of issues that John Van de Kamp was such a vocal advocate. Whether as a member of Congress where he served as the Chair of the Hispanic Caucus, as Deputy Attorney General, as a California State Legislator, or now as Attorney General, Mr. Becerra has been a vocal advocate on issues related to immigration, women’s issues, the environment, and California’s unique role vis-à-vis federalism.